A Lost Girl
by Motleybear
Summary: This is the story of a girl who has been lost her whole life, but when she is taken to Neverland she finds herself for the first time. Neverland is a gruesome place that houses children who never grow up, but it seems you have to grow up just to survive. Yet this young girl finds herself right at home. This is my first story so be gentle. M just to be safe
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

For me my eighteenth birthday was more than freedom from my parents or crossing over into adulthood. I had spent all of my life living with a foster family that told me nothing of where I came from. I desperately needed answers that they either never knew or never gave me. I didn't know where I was from or what happened to my parents. All I knew was I was left on a church's steps.

Despite my lack of answers, my foster family was always good to me. They weren't the evil foster parents that people like to think foster parents are. They were truly in it to help children and to love them when no one else did. I just didn't have that natural bond that biological families have and I missed it desperately. Of course I knew they weren't my parents but they tried to treat me and the others as if we were.

That's why I felt so bad when I decided to leave a week after I turned eighteen. They were crushed. They offered me a home any time but I knew I wouldn't be taking it. I loved them but I had no identity there. There I was just a kid that wasn't loved enough to keep so I was given away. I could never be me. I wanted to know where I came from and if I couldn't have that I wanted to make a life for myself. Of course it would be hard, especially when I saw the tears well in the eyes of my foster mom as she hugged me goodbye. I was her first foster kid. In her eyes I belonged to her. I wish I had belonged to her.

As I drove out of the driveway, I saw my foster siblings waving goodbye and my foster dad hold my foster mom as she cried. Tears rolled down my cheek and I felt as if I had been punched in the gut, but I kept driving.

I had no place to go. I would live in my car until I could get an apartment. McDonald's didn't pay as much as I'd like but it was money. I parked In a Walmart parking lot and tried to stop crying. As I tried to stop the tears I began to sob even harder because I couldn't stop. I sat there crying for what seemed like hours. Soon tears wouldn't fall anymore which made me even sadder. I knew I had chosen this, but it was still hard. I didn't want to be alone. I hated leaving my foster family. But I didn't know how to be that person anymore.

I was always the lost girl that was placed with a family that tried to find me. But I couldn't be found. You can't find someone who doesn't know how to find themselves. Deep down I had lost hope on ever knowing about the past or about myself, but there was still that little flicker of denial that kept me wanting to find answers.

As I thought of all of this I reclined my car seat and shut my now puffy eyes. I was hungry but I didn't have the energy to get up. I was fine with wallowing in my jumbled up life. It was a hard day and I let myself feel whatever I wanted. I deserved at least a day of that. Tomorrow I was going to wake up and put on my big girl panties and deal with my life. Tomorrow I was going to find myself.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up to the sounds of seagulls and the floor was rocking rhythmically under me. My eyes were closed still but I knew I wasn't in my car anymore. Panic washed over me. I was afraid to open up my eyes in fear that I would be somewhere scary. My first thought was that I had been kidnapped and I was going to be raped then murdered. Hopefully in that order.

I let my eyes open slowly and adjust to the light. I was sitting on a red velvet chair in a wooden, cluttered room. There was papers scattered on an old antique desk and a globe placed on the corner. There was a long dining room table with two melted candles that's wax had made a pile on the table. There was a grand piano in one corner and an unmade bed in the other.

There was circular windows on the walls which told me I was on a boat. That explained the rocking. I glanced around the room before I snuck to one window and peered out. All I could see was water and a small tropical-looking island. My breathing quickened as I slid to the floor. I wanted to cry but all the tears were still gone from the night before. So I sat there hyperventilating on the floor of this mysterious boat.

I don't think I had ever been so scared when the door slammed open. The kind of scared when your eyes grow wide and your body gets tense like you're going to need to fight. And when I saw him, I wasn't sure how, but the feeling got worse. The man was a middle-aged and dressed in black pants and a black frock coat that looked like it was from an old movie. There was a white button up shirt under the coat and a captain's hat on his head. His eyes were a striking blue that could burn through you with ease. But the thing that caught my eye the fastest and held my gaze the longest was the sharp hook that replaced his right hand.

My mind went to the bed time stories told to me as a child. My foster dad loved stories and along with the stories of princesses, the tales of Captain Hook where often the last thing I heard before I went to sleep.

"Well good morning, my dear," the rough voice bellowed as he strolled into the messy room. "You've been asleep for quite some time."

His voice sounded like a pirate but he couldn't be. That was a story made up just to put kids to sleep. He was a fictional character that fought another character and they all lived happily ever after. That's how you know it's fake. There's no such thing as happy forever. I didn't know what to do, or think, or say so I just sat on the floor and listened.

"Do you want something to eat, darling?" He came closer and I scooted closer to the wall. "Don't be afraid, Riley." He snarled my name as he came even closer. I had nowhere to go so I just pulled my legs against my chest to keep my distance.

"How do you know my name?" I demanded stronger than I felt. I felt as weak as could be. Kidnapping was more than I could handle. I was already so lost in the world now I was lost physically.

He shook his head and dark grin filled his face. "I hoped you would have remembered me, but I suppose you were only a child..."

"Tell me who you are right now!" I screamed out of both anger and terror.

"I'm your father, dear," he answered with a widening smile that showed off golf teeth throughout his mouth. "My name is Captain James Hook."

I was silent for a long time after he told me that. I didn't believe him but at the same time I did. He had a hook for a hand. How could I argue with that? I didn't want a villain as father. However, I did want a father. Hook stood there for a while before he went to his desk and puttered around with his things. He didn't know what to say any more than I did.

I decided after some time to think that, even if this was all crazy and not real, I didn't care. Why not just play along. From what I could tell everything was adding up. I still had no proof he was my father but I hadn't asked. I still wanted to cry and I had a feeling I would be able to, but I forced it away. I would just have to keep my guard up.

"Why did you give my away?" I asked quietly. That was the questioned I had always longed to ask my birth parents. Even if he really wasn't my father I wanted to hear his answer. And at that Hook turned to me and began to tell me everything. He gave me answers to all my questions and explained why what happened happened.

Hook told me that he had met a women who he found drowning far out in the water. He went on about how beautiful she was with her long brown hair and scarlet lips. Her name was Rose Hunts. She had no idea how she got to Neverland or how she got in the water, but regardless, Hook saved her and adopted her into the crew.

Soon, he said, she was a fearsome pirate and they began to fall in love. Together he was closer than ever to taking over Neverland and getting Peter Pan. Pan was a crazed pirate killer who would stop at nothing until he could kill all of the crew. The two of them dedicated much time trying to get rid of Pan in order to have peace with Neverland.

And when Rose got pregnant, they felt even more passionate about making Neverland as safe for their baby as possible. So they pursued Peter harder than ever. It became an obsession for the two of them. They plotted ways to catch Peter Pan all throughout Rose's pregnancy.

After the baby was born they still hadn't gotten him, but had scouted for his multiple hideouts. One night they found one of his hide outs and made plans to ambush them while they slept. As they prepared Rose placed the baby next to a tree, covered me in a blanket, and they all stormed in. Apparently it was bloody and both sides lost lives, but Peter escaped. During his escape he spotted a bundle next to a tree. Upon further inspection he found it to a baby. That baby was me.

He stole me and flew away to the Black Castle. He kept me there for days as my Hook and Rose searched for answers to where I had been taken. When Hook and Rose found out where I was, they gathered the remaining crew to save me. As they went in and the fight started Peter was on a ledge away from everyone, holding me. All of the other pirates fought the remaining lost boys, while Rose snuck up to the ledge where Peter was.

Rose was able to sneak, undetected, all the way up until she was right behind Peter. She demanded me back as she pulled her sword and Peter drew his. Peter fought Rose as he continued to hold me. Rose was afraid to fight back too hard because she didn't want to hit me on accident.

Soon Peter had us both at his hand. Rose sat with Peter holding a knife to her throat as he held me off the ledge threatening to drop me. All the fighting below has stopped as they watched. Peter threatened that if Hook moved he would drop me. Hook told me Peter took pleasure in all of this and he was laughing at the fear in Rose's eyes. As Hook yelled to let him replace Rose and I, Peter was distracted, and Rose dove for me. Peter ducked and set me back on the ledge and, in one motion, grabbed Rose by her long brown hair that Hook says is just like mine, and slit her throat.

Peter picked me up with his bloody hands and flew away with me, as Hook ran to Rose's lifeless body. Peter took me to America and left me on a church's steps. Ever sense Hook had been searching for me.

He told the story so vividly. He almost cried when he talked about Rose's death and her body. This story wasn't as quick as it sounds. He told me the feelings behind everything; he told me answers. We talked for hours, as I asked more questions. I asked about Rose mostly because he seemed to love to tell me about her. His face lit up.

If I asked about Peter he became harsh and mean. So I didn't ask much. Only why they were fighting in the first place.

"He thinks he owns this island," he snarled. "Thinks he is in charge but he isn't! He is evil! All he wants in life is to torment me until I go mad!" He yelled hitting the desk.

We talked a while longer before we realized the time. It was late and we were both tired. Hook gave me his room to stay in and he went down below with the crew. I liked Hook. From what I could tell he was nothing like the stories. He was just a man defending himself and his family. It felt good to be with a real family for once. And as I closed my eyes to sleep, I felt like I was finally home.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been almost two weeks since I had been in Neverland. Despite Hook sending men to kidnap me to get me there, things were going well with the pirates. I would talk to Hook on a regular basis, the crew began to joke around with me, and I was given my own cabin on the ship. It was small but it was something to call my own.

Hook and I had a pretty good relationship going. He would gush over how he had missed me and had searched all of England to find me. He never thought to look in America because Peter hadn't been there since he was very young. Hook would tell me all about my mother and what all I missed out on. He told me what a caring woman she was who only wanted to keep our family safe. He told me about his torment from Peter Pan over the years and how he wished it all would be resolved. He explained how it hurt him to have to fight a teenager who was still so immature, but that he had to defend himself as well as his crew.

In two weeks, I hated Pan more than I had hated anyone. I wanted him killed. Maybe the violent nature of the island was getting to me, but all I knew was he had to go. I would avenge my dead mother and fight alongside my new father. Justice was going to be served to Peter Pan.

Hook and the crew began teaching me to sword fight. I was a natural. I assumed it was in my blood with me having pirates as parents and all.

"You are making me so proud," Hook praised me as we walked into his cabin and sat down. He poured me some water in a wine glass and handed it to me.

"Thank you," I answered politely. "I'm excited to get my hands on Pan. He won't know what hit him," I boasted confidently.

Hook smiled a big toothy grin and took a swig of rum from the bottle. "Yes, it will be quite the surprise."

"He'll probably think I'm just some girl who he can toss to the side," I continued as I began on a tangent. "But, no, not me. I'm not some innocent girl from London. I am not 'little miss proper' and I'm not someone to be pushed to the side. I'm Riley Hook for God's sake! That boy is going to regret ever messing with our family."

Hook just laughed lightly at my enthusiasm. I could tell he liked my passion. In that moment I felt like he looked at me for the first time as his daughter, and was actually sincere about it. As pride glowed from his every poor, he took another drink of rum.

"I mean doesn't he know what it's like to lose love? Didn't he love that Wendy girl?" I asked him.

Hook scoffed. "Love? Pan can't love. Yes, I think Wendy was the closest he has ever been, but, like I said, he can't love. He drove her away. And besides," he went on. "He doesn't care who he hurts."

"That terrible. It's almost sad," I said with kind of a sigh.

"Are you pitying Pan?" He demanded in a raised voice. This made me a little uneasy. He had been so nice before and now he seemed be angry over one little comment. I had only seen him yell at the crew, he had never spoke to me that way.

"No," I defended. "I was simply stating that it's pretty-"

He interrupted me this time clearly upset with me. "You were simply siding with the enemy!" He yelled as he stood up and knocking his chair to the floor.

I could honestly say, I was frightened of my own father. Of course I had been when I first got here because of the circumstances, but ever since I have always felt safe with him. But as his hook slammed down into his desk, I didn't know him anymore. He wasn't my newly found father anymore. This man was a dark stranger who was a mystery.

"I'm sorry," I pleaded with him as I stood and put space between us. "I didn't mean-"

He cut me off once again. "Get out of here!" He demanded in a harsh growl. I felt tears well I'm my eyes. "I don't want to look at your face anymore!"

It was late, as I busted out of the cabin doors. Most of the crew were sloppy drunk or passed out below deck. I didn't know where to go or what to do, but I knew I needed off the ship.

There was one life boat aboard that would have to do. I lowered it down as tears spilled out of my eyes and into the water below. I climbed into the little wooden get-away and paddled my way to shore. It wasn't far but it sure wore me out.

By the time I got to the beach I was too tired to cry anymore. I couldn't sleep on the beach, I thought to myself looking into the forest. Hook had warned me of its dangers. From the Indians, to wild animals, to the evil lost boys, I had heard it all.

I was so tired, though. I decided to climb a tall oak tree that wasn't too deep in the forest, but deep enough not to be out in the open. I climbed up to a fat branch with some rope from the life boat and tied my legs to the branch. I was pretty secure, but far from comfortable.

I was still hurt by the fight with Hook, but I was getting more angry than anything else. He was acting bipolar. One minute I'm his wonderful daughter who he is so proud of and the next he can't stand for me to be around him. It was some high school drama kind of shit. I was over the whole thing and somehow felt too old for this world. I was only eighteen, but I was weathered.

I was so tired, I was asleep within minutes.


	4. Chapter 4

"Shut up or you'll wake her up," a voice whispered.

My back was stiff and my legs where sore. It took me a minute to remember that I had slept in a tree for safety and, once I remembered why I wasn't on the ship anymore, I felt like an orphan all over again.

"I think she is waking up," a different voice whispered excitedly.

Fear set in. This was a dangerous place where I could be tortured and killed. I had no time to be sad- I needed to be able to fight off whoever these creatures were.

I opened my tired eyes slowly and lifted my aching neck to look down at the whispering. It was a lot of what looked like your average neighborhood kids. These boys were a little rougher looking, but still the same in ways that they made you feel. They looked homey, friendly almost. They all just stared back up at me as I gazed down at them. None of them spoke, but they all wore bright smiles.

"Who are you?" I asked the group of around ten. Their ages ranged from around 10 to my age.

"We are the lost boys," one of the younger ones announced with pride. "Who are you?" He called up to me.

I began to worry. These were Pan's boys and I had been told how dangerous he was as well as his boys. 'They don't look deadly,' I remember Hook telling me about the lost boys. 'But I have lost many good men at the hands of those monsters.' Hook was right. The lost boys looked like nice boys who just wanted to have a good day out in the woods. They didn't look like they could kill a spider let alone a person. But, if they hated pirates I knew they would hate me if they found out I was basically one myself. Or I use to be. I didn't know what I as anymore. I decided to give them a fake name to protect my identity.

"I'm Jane," I lied giving them the first name that came to my mind. Plain Jane.

"Need any help down, Jane?" One of the older ones offered. I, of course, said no. These boys were killers and I didn't want one touching me. I would play along that I wasn't afraid of them, but only because I didn't want to be alone.

This was a scary place. Mostly because of Pan and the lost boys, but I knew, as long as they didn't know who I was, I was safe. Besides I didn't want to feel like an orphan like I had my whole life and then again the night before. I guess you could say I was vulnerable.

"How did you get here?" Another one of the older boys asked me as I hopped down from the tree.

"The pirates kidnapped me," I told them, which wasn't all a lie. I was kidnapped, but it was to be with my long lost father. I would just leave that part out, I thought to myself. "I escaped last night. I was there for over a week."

They all let out a gasp and a lot of their faces turned angry. "We must tell Peter," a young one exclaimed. The others nodded in agreement.

I didn't want to start a fight between the groups. Of course, I didn't want my father to be attacked even if I didn't think I knew him as well as I thought I did. I knew he loved me.

"Why? It's no big deal. I'm fine, really," I tried to convince them. "They treated me well and didn't hurt me."

"Who didn't hurt you?" a voice from behind me made me jump. I spun around to see a floating boy with the prettiest eyes I had ever seen.

They stared into mine questioningly. His feet met the grass I'm front of me. He was a bit taller than me with a very stunning face. The green twinkled in his eyes and his brown hair lightened, under the sun. He was clearly strong and fit. You could tell because he was shirtless and his muscles were hard to miss. His blue jeans were ripped and dirty, but besides this there was only one other thing I could find not-flawless about how he looked. There was a long scar that traveled from around his collar bone to the middle of this stomach. It was jagged and looked painful even though it had been healed.

I tried not to stare at the scar and I met his eyes once more. In that moment, I didn't care how evil that boy was. All I knew was that he was looking at me and I was looking back and it was beautiful.

"Hook," a lost boy answered for me.

Peter's hidden smile that he wore in his eyes was stolen away. He pushed passed me and up to the boy who told him. "What happened," he demanded to know.

"Jane was kidnapped by Hook and brought here," the boy blurted out. "She just barely escaped last night. He had held her for weeks," the boy exaggerated talking quicker and quicker. He was probably around fourteen. He was plump but not fat with dark brown eyes. He had curly brown hair and freckle dotted his round face like sprinkles on a cake.

"Curly, slow down," Peter laughed lightly. "I'll take it that this is Jane?" He asked Curly, as he motioned to me. Curly nodded vigorously. "Is that true, Jane?" He turned to me to confirm as he smiled like he had a secret.

"Um, yes, kind of," I agreed not sure if it was a mistake or not. But what could I say? I couldn't take everything back and run back to the ship. I was too deep in now. I was just along for the ride.

"Great," Peter bellowed and grabbed both my hands in his. "That means you can stay with us," he announced causing all the boys to cheer. "Don't worry, Jane, we will get revenge on that dirty pirate."

I wanted off this ride.


	5. Chapter 5

I walked with the boys and Peter to one of their secret hide outs. It was a far walk from the shore, so along the way the lost boys introduced themselves one by one.

I already knew who Curly was so the second boy was Tootles. Tootle looked sixteen, but smiled like a five-year-old. His eyes were blue with hints of green and his blonde hair was unkempt and messy. He was, like the other boys, strong and had muscles. He wore a grey shirt with rips under the armpits. The shirt and jeans were old and dirty but he didn't seem to care.

Nibs looked to be the oldest next to Peter. I guessed he was seventeen. He had dark brown hair that was long like Peters. It wasn't long like a girls but just not kept as short as most boys. His brown eyes were light and shiny. Nibs had a scar on his right cheek that wasn't all the way healed yet. You could still see it stitched up. He wore a white tank top that was torn at the bottom as if it had been bitten off by a dog.

Slightly was fifteen and by far the thinnest of the boys. It looked like he had no fat on him at all. He was all muscle and nothing else. He had on cargo shorts that showed off his boney calves that were scraped up from exposure to the brush and thorns. His hair was black and his face and blue eyes were pale. He was short for his age, but you could still tell he was older just by looking at his face.

There was a set of twins that appeared to be nameless. Everyone just called them 'the twins' and even they referred to themselves this way. They were around thirteen but were wild enough to pass for much younger. Their jeans were covered in mud from the knees down that let me know that they had already gotten into some fun that morning. They both had brown hair that was kept short and blue eyes that had a way about them that made you want to laugh.

The three others, I had never been told of as a child. They had come after Wendy had been in Neverland so they weren't in the story that children are told.

Oakley was tiny, but was fifteen. He wore thick framed glasses over his dark blue eyes. His red hair was cut short and it looked dirty. I could tell he was smart by the way he talked to the other boys. He just seemed to know what he was saying. He had on the cleanest clothes I had seen, but even his had a few rips here and there.

Axle has dark green eyes and dirty blonde hair. He was older. I guessed he was probably seventeen. He didn't talk much. I figured that because he didn't even introduce himself, Nibs did it for him. I heard a few words out of him but he was, by far, the quietest one of the lost boys.

Lastly there was Valley. Valley was the youngest and had an innocent face. They all had some what of innocent faces, but when you looked at the rest of them you could tell my their scars, or their eyes, or their voices, or all of these that they had seen some things that ruined their childish way of seeing the world. Valley hadn't lost that though. He was happy and light. You could see hope in his brown eyes that were wide and excited as we walked. His black hair was long and crazy that made him look even happier.

"You can't tell anyone where our hide out is, Jane," Peter instructed me as we came closer.

"Yeah," Tootles agreed. "We have many, but this one is, by far, my favorite."

"Jane?" Peter asked as he slowed down and let the others go in front of him.

I did the same. "Yes?" I encouraged him to go on. I was still uneasy around all of them, especially Peter.

"You're from Dallas, aren't you?" Did he know I wasn't who I said I was? Maybe he remembered me. I couldn't say yes because that's like saying 'hi I'm Riley- the girl you took from her parents eighteen years ago'. I couldn't say no because if he knew who I was already he would know I'm lying straight to his face.

Peter went on after I was silently walking slowly next to him. "I can hear you have an accent," I sighed in relief. I didn't like lying so I would try and avoid it, but now that was my only option. I was going to be staying with people who would hate the real me. I enjoyed the relief for the time being; knowing it wouldn't last forever.

I fake laughed at the thought of me having a Texas accent. "What about you? You don't sound British," I stated as we fell even further behind the boys.

"I'm not I'm from America," Peter smiled and looked up at a fat tree. The lost boys were gone. He gestured to the old tree, "Shall we?"

"Shall we climb? No, I've had enough of climbing trees," I laughed and shook my head.

Peter smiled a secretive and knowing smile before going to the trunk and pulling a hidden handle. The trunk opened up like a door revealing wooden steps going down below the ground. "Welcome home, Jane," Peter welcomed me as he held the door for me.

I descended down the steps slowly. Peter closed the door behind him and locked it. It made me very uncomfortable being locked in a house of all boys who I had been told are savage murderers, but as I reached the bottom of the steps I was instantly distracted by the amazing feeling of home.

There was legit furniture in the wooden underground room. It was handmade but it was quality. There was three large couches on one side of the room and a handmade dining room table on the other. Against the wall, by the table, was counter tops and a gas stove. Hard wood floors covered the ground and it looked like we were in a log cabin by looking at the walls.

There were three doors that branched off of that main room. One was the bathroom which had running water and working plumbing.

The next was the lost boy's room that mostly consisted of their weapons scattered everywhere, a few dressers, and four sets of bunk beds. The beads, like the couch, were a layer of fabric stuffed with goose feathers in them. Each bed was either made with handmade quilts or with animal fur.

The last room was Peter's. It had a queen sized bed with an intricately made quilt. In his room he had a dresser that had a few half melted candles on, daggers, and swords placed on top of it. There was a grizzly bear skin rug at the end of the bed. Other than that there was just a wooden chair like from the dining room in the corner.

"This place is incredible," I gasped almost to myself as I strolled through the hideout taking it all in. The boys were all relaxing on the couches with their feet resting on each other. Peter watched me from his doorway with a smirk that, for the first time, didn't freak me out. "How did you do all of this?"

"Most of the furniture is from the Indian tribe. They give us these things in return for protection. It works out well because they really know what they're going," Peter explained coming towards me.

I wasn't afraid. I didn't want to run away. I hadn't thought about how dangerous I had heard he was. All I felt was home. I knew deep down that that was probably the wrong thing to feel, but I didn't care. For the moment I felt safe and I was in no place to be turning away safe.

"This place is wonderful," I squeaked like a twelve year old at a One Direction concert. "Are you sure it's alright if I stay here?"

"Jane, we want you here," Peter convinced me. "We all know what it's like to be captured by Hook."

Hook. Hook was my father. He had brought me here and had seemed to be so loving and caring, but then, all of a sudden, he wasn't. Was he the one who was evil like the stories said or was he the only one with the story right. I didn't know.

"So," Nibs looked at me with a weird look on his face. "You have two options. One you can sleep on the couch or two you can sleep with Peter," he smirked as all the boys cheered and laughed. My face got hot, but I gave a nervous smile anyways.

"Don't worry," Peter assured me as he went to Nibs and have him a flick behind the ear. "Their only joking. I'll take the couch and you can have my bed."

It was weird sleeping in a stranger's bed, I thought, after I blew out the candles on the dresser and climbed under the toasty quilt. I guess Peter wasn't a stranger as much as a person I didn't know well enough to be in their bed. Besides all the dirty jokes the boys had made after dinner about me sleeping in Peter's bed, it wasn't as awkward as you'd think.

I was the only one about to go to sleep at the time. I was so tired from the night before, after sleeping in a tree, that I almost fell asleep into the venison that Curly made. I could still hear the boys and Peter all talking through the door. It was mostly about adventures and fun things at first, but as the younger ones went to sleep the older boys talked deeper.

Axle, Tootles, Nibs, and Peter stumbled on to an interesting subject of girls, particularly ones that Peter had known.

"She isn't much like Wendy," Nibs stated. Their voices were muffled through the door, but I could hear pretty well.

"Yeah," Tootles agreed. "She is okay with being alone. Think about it- she was trapped on Hook's ship for a week and when she escapes, all on her own, she doesn't search for help. She just climbs a tree and takes a nap."

"It's kind of weird," Axle noted. "Are you sure we can trust her? Don't get me wrong, I like her but we don't even know her last name." He had a point. I was lying about who I was and they had no reason to believe anything I said. I was a fake.

"Listen guys," Peter spoke for the first time on this subject. "You're right, she isn't Wendy. She is very different than most girls we have met. She is independent and can take care of herself. I, for one, like it. And Axle, you're right. We don't know her and she could be lying to us, but she obviously wants some help. Just because someone can do things all by themselves doesn't mean they want to."

Tears sprung to my eyes. He was right about everything and I didn't even realize it until he said it. I rolled over and snuggled myself into a ball. I thought about what a mess my life was and let myself feel defeated for a few minutes. I stopped listening to the boys and started to let the tears fall.

I wanted that to be my home. I knew I had ruined that, though. The second I lied to them about who I was I lost my chance of being accepted by them. When they found out I was Hook's daughter they would probably try and kill me. But even knowing that, I still couldn't help but feel at safe here in the hidden house with a bunch of boys.

Hours passes and I heard the boys say their goodnights. Peter told the boys that he was going to see if I needed more blankets then go to bed.

The door opened a small crack and a face peeked in. Peter smiled at me in the dark after seeing that I was awake. He let himself in further and lost his smile when he saw that I was upset.

"What's wrong, Jane?" He asked as he came over to the bed and sat on the edge. His face looked hurt by the fact that I was. The room was still dark other than the candle lights from the main room, but I could still see.

"Nothing," I lied as I buried my face under the quilt to hide.

"You don't have to lie," Peter told me trying to pull off the covers.

"That's the thing I do have to lie," I cried out. I could hear myself losing my sanity, but I kept blabbing. "If I told you the truth, you'd all hate me," I confessed ripping away my shield of blankets. "My secret is too bad."

"Everyone has a part of their self that they keep from people at some point or another. I lie," Peter confessed as he laid back on the bed to make himself more comfortable. "Hell, I lie to myself sometimes."

My eyes began to dry by talking to him. It was passed three in the morning already and I was very tired, but I was interested and invested in the conversation too much to go to sleep. "Like what?" I yawned curiously.

He laughed nervously. "Can I trust you?" He asked jokingly but I told him yes anyways. "Well I always told myself that I never wanted to grow up. And that was fine for a while, but soon I started to realize that I grew up a long time ago. This island may not age us physically, but you have to make decisions here that not even adults have to in the other world. Here we have life and death situations. No child can face that and stay young."

It got quiet for a minute or two. I wasn't sure why he was being so honest with me. What he said was great and all, but I was more concerned with why he told me it. "Why are you being so blunt?"

"I find everyone gets more honest this late at night," he said through a smirk. "Even I can't fight the truth with such tired eyes."

"I guess you're right," I giggled remembering passed sleepovers with my friends and all the crazy things we would confess late at night when we were supposed to be sleeping.

"Know something else?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm cold," he laughed and I didn't think twice as I let him climb under the blanket. We talked for hours about all kinds of pointless things. He told me about London and Wendy who had died a while back. He talked a lot about the lost boys and their adventures. He told me all these funny stories and would make me laugh so hard that I would just kind of shake because the laugh was silent. He loved to tell me about how beautiful the fairies are. I mostly listened out of pure amazement of the grand stories he told me.

Hours passed of us taking and me even trading stories with Peter about living in the real world and about school and growing up, before our voices started to trail off and eyes couldn't be pried open anymore. We laid there in silence for a few moments, him on his side and me on mine.

"Peter?"

"Yeah?" His tired and hoarse voice answered.

"Can I confess something?"

"Of course," he adjusted as he rolled in his side to face me across the space, in the now pitch black room since we closed the door so my laughing wouldn't wake anyone.

"I am not who I say I am," I confessed to the dark. I was so tired I didn't think about the consequences and I wasn't afraid. My tired brain trusted he would understand for some reason. "I was never held captive on the pirate ship. In fact, I wanted to be there for a while. It was the only time I was given answers about my past. I got to meet my father-"

"Riley," he interrupted me calling me by my real name. My eyes grew wide in a sudden burst of fear. "Stop. I already know. I knew from the moment I saw you that you were Hook's daughter," he laughed quietly. "I could never forget those eyes."

At that we soon fell asleep. I slept better than I had in years. I was in a place that accepted me and welcomed me. There was no longer a reason to fear Peter. We had gotten closer than I had in one night than I had with anyone in my whole life. That was the type of person I needed to be with. A friend who I could trust, not because they said I could, but one that you can talk to and tell your secrets to. I had found a home.


	6. Chapter 6

I woke up with more energy than I had had in years. I rolled over on my half of the bed to see that Peter was gone. For a moment I was worried they had all abandoned me because of my confession last night, but then I heard voices through the door. Sitting up I noticed my suit case in the end of the bed. The suit case that I left back on the ship when I left. I didn't know how Peter got it but I was very grateful to be able to brush my teeth and change my clothes.

"Jane," Valley greeted me as I came out of Peter's room. Him calling me Jane told me that they still didn't know who I was. "You're awake. Peter, can we eat now?"

He nodded from the stove where he was cooking; that signaled all the boys to run to the table and fight over seats. There was two seats left after the boys had settled so I slid into one. We were having homemade hash browns and fresh fruit.

After we ate we all went out to go swimming in the mermaid lagoon. I was told of how dangerous these mermaids were by Hook. He told me they would drown anyone who got close enough, so I was hesitant to dive in with the boys. I stood on the bank in my teal bikini, as I watched the mermaids flock to Peter to flirt and the boys begin a splash fight.

Instead of getting in, I spread a towel on the ground and laid down looking up at the clouds. It was a nice day, but I had yet to see an ugly day in Neverland. As I listened to the mermaids giggle and squeal as they swam with Peter, I was overcome with a feeling of jealously. I was never a jealous person, but I was when I heard that. I began to push it into a place where I liked to store things I didn't want to deal with, but I was interrupted by a glowing ball that flew between me and my view of the clouds.

Startled, I sat up to face the orb of light that had landed on my towel. Threw the twinkling lights that surrounded her, I saw a small figure who was very beautiful. The fairy was a blonde and her hair was worn up. She had on a dress made of leaves that looked as if she had bought it at a retail store because it was so pretty. She stood there with her tiny hands on her hips and looking up at me.

"You must be Tinker Bell," I smiled hoping she wouldn't hate me instantly for being a friend of Peter's who was a girl.

She stomped her tiny foot on the towel. She jingled in her language but I couldn't understand.

I laughed politely not trying to be rude. "I'm sorry, I don't speak fairy."

She rolled her eyes and frowned at me as if to say "duh" then continued to motion to me about the mermaids. He pantomimed evil faces and ugly fishy gestures that had me cracking up. I laughed so hard all the boys and mermaids in the lagoon looked over to see what was so funny. When they saw it was nothing they went back to their swimming.

"Well they are kind of beautiful and can defiantly keep a boys attention," I replied to Tinker Bell as I watched them flip their perfect hair and show off their shell bikinis.

Tink shook her head vigorously. She stuck out her tongue disgusted at the thought of them being anything other than fish people. She pointed to me. For a moment I was worried she would insult me for taking any sort of interest in Peter, but, to my surprise, she fanned herself like I was the one who was beautiful. I blushed and smiled. She went on to point at my eyes, then hair, then legs, then lips. Lastly she pointed to my brain and gave me a thumbs up.

I grinned and thanked her. "Why are you being so nice to me? I thought you hated girls that Peter talked to," I asked my new friend.

She giggled to herself then showed me her left hand. Her ring finger held a vine with a gem. She held her heart and spun in a circle to show how in love with her husband she was. Next she cradled her arms to signal she had a new baby at home. She pinched her own cheek and cooed at the air. Tinker Bell had a family to take care of.

Tinker Bell coaxed me to go into the water and have a good time. she waved off the mermaids telling me they were nothing to me and that I should go swimming and show them how a girl with legs does it.

I stood up and confidently went over to the water. The mermaids gave me glares that were aimed to kill, but I just smiled. Peter turned to look at me. I ignored the glance he gave me that traveled from head to toe. Before he could say anything, I did a huge cannon ball right next to all of them. I'm a cannon ball type of girl.

"Um excuse you," one of the snotty mermaid snarled at me as I came up from under the water.

"You should've stayed under," another told me

"Sucks. Well anyways, I'll be over there with the boys" I gave them all smiles that we're sure to annoy them then swam over to where the lost boys were playing chicken.

I hopped up on Nibs uncovered shoulder and wrestled with Slightly who was on Axle's. The others cheered as they watched. It was the type of fun you see friends have on TV that makes you wish you had somewhere to be. I didn't look over to see if the mermaids and Peter were watching, but I hoped they were because I was feeling really bad-ass after I beat Slightly twice in a row. Not to mention my bikini was on point.

Nibs lowered me back in the water and we all were talking about what to play next when we overheard a mermaid tell Peter, "You know she is Hook's daughter right?"

I thought Hook turned on me quick, but when the boys heard that they all looked like they were about to kill me.

"Guys it's not-"

"Get her!" Tootles yelled and all the boys lunged at me. The mermaids swam over at the same time to try and drown me. All I could do was punch and kick anyone who came close while I tried to remain afloat.

I told them all to stop and tried to explain, but they wouldn't listen. Peter was demanding them to stop and threatening them, but they weren't paying attention. Peter, frustrated, flew up out of the water and grabbed Tootles away by his hair. Tootles screamed in pain as he hung by his hair. Everyone stopped including me.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Peter demanded as he threw Tootles on the shore knocking the breath out of him. As he gasped into the grass Peter looked back at the rest of us. The mermaids had fled leaving the rest of us frozen.

Peter flew over to wear he dropped Tootles who laid on his back catching his breath and rubbing this head. All the boys swam slowly to shore and got out; I followed not knowing what was happening.

"This is the second one you've almost killed, Tootles," Peter told Tootles eerily as he stood above him. "I spared your life the first time. Do you expect another chance?" Peter asked him.

"No," Tootles replied

"Good cause you won't get one," Peter pulled out a dagger and stared down at Tootles who was visibly shaking.

I stood there as all of this is happening looking around to see what the others would do about it. They did nothing. A few wiped tears away, but none stepped forward to stop it. I couldn't help but think of how young Tootles was. He was only 16 and had a whole life ahead of him. He made a mistake. A logical mistake that I would've made too if I was in his shoes. I was not ready to see this boy die over this.

As Peter dropped to his knees beside Tootles, who closed his eyes tightly, I made my decision. This boy will not die today. Peter raised the dagger and began to drop it just when I side tackled him. All the lost boys gasped quietly as Peter cursed under his breath.

"What are you doing?!" Peter yelled at me as got off him and to my feet quickly.

"I just couldn't watch you kill him. I'm sorry, but this is wrong. Tootles made a mistake and didn't know,"

"I don't care this has happened before," he defends angrily. I could finally see a side of Peter that had matched what Hook had told me about. He was hot tempered and I could tell he had a cruel way of thinking. It was hard to believe that a boy that was so young could have the capacity to kill another. Kill a friend, more specifically. Maybe the lie Peter told himself was more obvious than I thought. How can a boy kill? Only men can kill.

"Then kill me too because I've made mistakes, more than once as well," I offered a clear shot at my heart to which he rolled his eyes.

"He needs to be punished,"

"In a different way,"

"Boys go home. Get cleaned up we are going to the Indians camp tonight for a feast." He dismissed the boys who all seemed relieved to go home.

"I'm sorry I just-"

"I get it" Peter began after the boys were too far away to hear. "You have strong opinions. So do I. But you can't just tackle me when you disagree with me. Listen, I run things around here and these are my boys. I'm the one who keeps them all alive, so if I make a decision it needs to be respected. Got it?"

What made me mad about Peter's statement was that he didn't exactly yell or get upset with me he just kind of told me how it was and how to act. I hated it. I'd rather him yell so then I can yell back and it's a conversation not just be told how thing are.

"I respect your decision. I just don't agree and if I don't agree I'm not going to stand by and let it happen," I told him standing closer and staring him in his water color painting eyes.

"Then we're gona have a problem,"

"I guess so,"


	7. Chapter 7

The drums from the Indian tribe can be heard for miles before you reach the village. That was the first sound we heard on the walk there. No one spoke most of the day and especially not as we walked. Tootles did tell me thank you once we got back to the hideout, but it was just that then he left.

Peter didn't talk much, but he didn't seem to be in a bad mood. He seemed to be in good spirits most of the day. It was everyone else that was being awkward. I definitely was.

I hoped that my fall out with Peter wouldn't make him kick me out. I couldn't go back to Hook now. I had befriended the enemy. I still wanted answers from Peter about why he took me and why he killed my mom, but all in all I realized that there are two sides to every story. I trusted Peter. Even though I just saw him try and kill one of his own I trusted that he was only trying to do what was best. Whether I agree with it or not I know he didn't want to do it out of hate but out of obligation.

Once we heard the drums it was like all the tension from earlier didn't matter. The pounding of the drums were like magic that made you just want to have a good time.

Peter disappeared into the crowd of people dancing around a fire and I was on my own. The boys all had friends in the tribe to hang out with, so I just sat on a log and watched the fire.

I was fine with being alone. I watched all the dancers and even spotted Peter going around a few times, but then was gone again. It was all wild and beautiful at the same time. There was chanting that they all repeated and alcohol passed around for all to drink. I was passed some by an old woman who insisted I take a sip. She was sweet and reminded me of my foster grandmother. I took the drink and she pulled me up to dance around the fire.

"Loosen up," she told me as we danced and chanted. "Life's too fun to be up tight."

It wasn't the dancing I had seen at school dances. It was a flailing of the body with no order or reason. It was whatever motion you felt. The old lady grasped my hands in hers and we spun and laughed together. Her wrinkles grew as she smiled. She may have been this age for hundreds of years, but she was as young as the children playing near the firewood.

Soon the sweet old lady went off to attend to her grandson. I smiled to myself and went to get some food. It was some type of roasted meat that despite me not knowing what it was tasted good. I found a tree to sit next to that was away from the noise and ate.

From afar I could see Peter smoking a pipe with the chief and probably getting high off of whatever it was. I saw Nibs follow some girl into her teepee. Mostly I saw the boys going crazy and being as ridiculous as possible. They all fit in so well where ever they went. If this was my new home then why didn't I fit in at this party? It seemed anytime I started to feel like I found the right place for myself something would derail it. I tended to be that something more times than not.

Despite this, I did feel like the boys were like my brothers. Nibs was off getting into trouble. The lost boys being more wild than usual. Although Peter wasn't like a brother he was still something. I just didn't know what he was to me yet. He hadn't made any indication that I should think of him in any certain way so I was just going with it for now. We defiantly had sparks when we talked. He could make me laugh as if we were best friends, but we could fight like a couple who had been together for years.

"They get kind of silly when they come here" a voice made me jump. "Sorry I didn't mean to scare you. I'm Peter's friend Tiger Lily."

I had heard of Tiger Lily from not only stories from my childhood, but also from Hook's tales. She was the fearsome Indian princess. But looking at the small tan girl that stood in front of me she was nothing to fear. She was shorter than me with her black hair tied into braids. She wore a deer skin dress that could've passed for designer. Her eyes were brown, but they had a light to them that even in the dark couldn't be overlooked. She embodied a princess down to a tee.

"Oh right, nice to meet you. I'm just a little jumpy."

"Understandable. Peter told me about your last few weeks. Sounds pretty intense," she smiled lightly

"You could say that," I smiled to be polite.

"Well me and Peter are pretty close so-"

"So don't get to close to him?" I interrupted. "Yeah I got it," jealousy had taken over and it was not a pretty look on me. I knew I was jealous of her. How could I not be? She was beautiful and Peter was close to her. Envy was just a natural reaction.

"Whoa, no I was going to say that I'm here to talk, but never mind," Tiger Lily snapped with an attitude. All of a sudden I felt sick.

My face got red in the dark night air. I felt like such a fool. How could I be such a bitch over nothing? I was about to make this nice girl hate me over my own insecurities. "Sorry I just figured-"

"Listen we aren't like that. People have thought that for years, but we are just friends," she told me laughing a little telling me that she wasn't mad. "I like Black Shadow," she pointed to an Indian who stood near Peter and the chief.

"Oh, well this is awkward," we laughed and began talking all about ourselves. We exchanged stories and backgrounds and by the time Peter collected us all to leave we were almost like best friends. It was amazing because I had never been good at making new friends, but with her we just clicked.

Tiger Lily was easy to talk to. She had aged to sixteen like everyone else does, but since she had never left Neverland she had been sixteen for a century.

I didn't know that. All the adults had come here already adults. Kids only aged till they were sixteen then stopped, unless they go back to the real world. In the real world time would start for you again. In Neverland you can't have babies or die of old age. I wondered how I was born, but my procreation freaked me out so I pushed it out of my head.

I was pretty much the only sober one out of the boys. Even the young ones were tipsy. I would've been bothered by it but then I remembered this isn't the real world. This wasn't even a real life. All of this is a fairy tale so why did it matter? I knew that these things were happening, but it wasn't like it made any difference. It was like I was in a book or a movie and soon someone would call "cut" and I would see that all of these things aren't happening to me.

Neverland was a place of freedom and fun. I grabbed a bottle from Nibs and chugged it down. It tasted awful, but I didn't care. I was free. The chill in the air went away and the alcohol warned my body. I could be warm here. I may be the enemy's daughter, but I was here to stay. There was no way in hell I'd go back to Hook now.

Peter tucked me in like a sick child rather than a teen who got way too drunk to function. He wasn't even himself, but he was well enough to put me to sleep in his bed before passing out on his side of the bed. He stayed on his side and I stayed on mine just as before. I thought for a moment that I should change that, but decided not to ruin a good thing.

As my drunk brain drifted off to sleep I remembered my eventful day. It had been the most intense and most fun days I had ever had. I wanted to stay forever and never be bothered with real problems again. I didn't need a father and I didn't want the one I got, so I would just be a lost girl forever.


	8. Chapter 8

Life as a lost girl could be rough and sometimes even a bit much for me. I grew up just outside of Dallas and wasn't ever exposed to much wilderness. Neverland was basically all wilderness. Needless to say I was out of my element. I was forced to get into shape which, at first, bummed me out because exercise sucks, but soon I was able to keep up with all the boys on our adventures and games.

I belonged here. I had been born aboard a pirate ship and lived crucial months here. I may not have been here long before being brought to the real world, but it was in my blood. I was just worried maybe my blood was more pirate than lost girl.

That was a thought I kept to myself over the next two months with Peter. We were almost as close as two people could be who weren't dating. I didn't hate the idea of dating, but I wasn't doing anything to make it happen either. Part of me still felt like I would be completely betraying Hook, but that wasn't the reason I didn't try to make a move.

I mostly didn't want to ruin a good thing. I had a place to stay, with friends who seemed to like me. They loved when I would tell them stories which I realize was something Wendy used to do, but that didn't bother me. I was good at telling them. The boys liked that I stuck up for them when Peter would get upset. That didn't happen often, but it had happened one other time since the first time.

Why would I ruin my set up? Besides if Peter wanted to make a move he had had plenty of chances. We slept next to each other so it's not like there wasn't enough alone time.

One night Peter told me he wished he had never been brought to Neverland, which was shocking to me. He told me that he didn't choose to be brought here, but Hook took him from an orphanage as a baby in hopes he could raise him as a son. But when he was eight years old Peter was practicing sword fighting and was cut. He began to cry; Hook was scolded him. "Grow up you stupid boy," he shouted at Peter who held his bleeding palm. "No son of mine will be so weak."

This was before Hook found out children in Neverland only age to a certain point.

Peter ran away to the forest where he met Tinker Bell and the other fairies. Ever since then Peter hated Hook and Hook hated Peter.

Peter had never told that story to anyone but me. Not many people asked him, but even if they did he would not tell the truth. The only people who knew the truth was Peter, Hook, and now me.

I knew I meant something to him, but I didn't know what that was and I don't think he did either. He was content with just telling me all these amazing things and listening to me pour my heart out about my past and just letting us be what we were. Sometimes in the middle of the night he would get closer to me and we would sleep closer than normal. We would barely touch, but it was like we needed that.

I feel like we as humans need that comfort. Neverland can get so lonely. I am surrounded by all these close friends, but yet I feel so far away when it gets quiet at night. I think there is a reason people don't go through life alone. People need that contact with others. That closeness is what keeps us sane.

One night it was later than we normally stayed up. That evening the lost boys were having some type of wrestling terminate that went on for hours. It was all organized with brackets of who fights who and how to win the title. I only watched, but not because I wasn't challenged because I definitely was. But I was sore from practicing sword fighting with Peter all afternoon because apparently I needed more practice. Despite my protests we were there for hours. It wasn't that bad, but I was already good I didn't want to practice.

It had to be around three when all the boys went to sleep. Of course Peter and I stayed up for another two hours letting the conversation take us wherever it pleased.

After the second hour of mindless babbling the pauses in the conversation became longer and more common. Soon we would be asleep and then it would be a new day, I thought as I rested my eyes in a silence. I didn't want it to be over. Today hasn't accomplished anything. I needed to be going somewhere with my life. As fun as it is to just goof off and play with swords and wrestle in the living room I needed more. I couldn't let another day go by without answers.

"Peter, why did you kill my mother and kidnap me?" I asked in a sleepy voice.

Peter wasn't the least bit caught off guard by this. I'm sure he had been expecting it. I had been wanting to ask him about it ever since I decided that he wasn't the monster that Hook made him out to be. I think there was a part of me that was afraid to know why. I didn't want it to be something awful or something that matched up with how Hook described it.

"Well it's a long story," he laughed lightly as he got more comfortable. "Are you sure you can stay awake for the whole story?"

I nodded.

"Okay, where should I begin," he thought out loud. "So, around nineteen years ago Hook found this woman who was floating out in the water. No one knows how she got here, but I have a feeling she did and just kept it a secret," he went on giving his own take on the story along the way. "She was strong and had a thirst for excitement. Hook was smitten right away, but Rose wasn't sold yet. She seemed to only be impressed with Hook when he would do something violent or powerful, so Hook reached an all new type of evil that I had never seen before. Together they burnt down a section of the island in hopes of drawing us out. At one point, they were just blindly firing the cannon into the forest. Thankfully, Rose decided that the two of them needed a vacation from tormenting us. I think they went home to England for a week," Peter cleared his throat and then went on. "When they came back, Rose claimed to be pregnant. Naturally, I called all the boys off. For the next nine months we planned on staying away from the Jolly Roger at all cost. Even if they attacked, I told the boys to stay away from Rose. So we stayed in one of our hideouts as often as possible. It was incredibly boring," he added with a chuckle that made me smile just hearing it. "Nine months passed, but we hadn't heard if Rose had had you yet, so we remained in the hideout. One night I was asleep in my room when I heard a loud crash and then harsh voices. Hook had found us. I grabbed my sword and went out to the main room to see pirates all over. The boys were just waking up and running out of their room. Only some of them were armed; not expecting a fight. I saw one of the boys, Trackson, be stabbed through the heart and fall over dead. There was blood coving the floor. I went to the pirate who killed him and sliced open his stomach so he would bleed out," I cringed at the gruesome thought. "Sorry," he told me then went on. "people were falling to the ground all around me. I yelled to all the boys to get out of the hideout and as many of us that could fled. As we dispersed through the forest, I flew above a bundle of blankets. It was you left all alone in the woods. I knew right then that they could never be fit parents. They left you by a tree while they went to kill people, for God's sake. I took you to the Black Castle until I figured out what I wanted to do," he paused for a long time and I wasn't sure if that was all he was going to tell me or not.

"Go on," I encouraged in a quiet voice.

"I'm not proud of what happened at the Black Castle, Riley. I'm pretty ashamed of it," he was more serious now. "I took care of you for a few days and actually considered keeping you and raising you myself. But I knew I wasn't a fit father. How would I raise a little girl? But then again, how could Hook and Rose?" I began to wonder what it would have been like to grow up in Neverland with the lost boys. I wasn't sure how I would've turned out. "When the pirates and your parents came for you I wanted to stay out of the fight. I had decided, just before, that I would take you to America where no one would find you. All of a sudden Rose was behind me and I found myself sword fighting with a newborn in one hand and a weapon in the other. Soon I had your mother down and away from us. I threatened to drop you off the ledge. I was never going to do it. I just needed you parents to think I would. Hook was trying to negotiate with me, but only to distract me. Rose dove at me with a dagger but I dodged it. I set you down and struggled the knife away from her. In the process she gave me that scar on my chest," so that's where he got it. "I had her by the hair over the ledge. I asked her if I let her live would she leave us alone for good. I got a spit in the face and a 'go fuck yourself.' I killed her," he finished the story leaving out the gory details. I was thankful for that.

I thought for a few minutes. They had told me the same basic story, but they were so different. I knew that Peter was telling me the truth. I don't know how I knew, but I trusted him. I started to hear Peter's breathing slow and I knew he was drifting off to sleep. I still wanted to ask him about our relationship. I needed to do it right then. I was tired enough to be brave.

"Do you want to be with me?"

I asked in a tired but serious voice. I didn't fear the answer. I didn't hold my breathe. I needed to know.

"Be with you? What do you mean?" He adjusted in a more sitting up position like he was interested in staying awake for this conversation.

"You know what I mean. Do you want to be my boyfriend?" I yawned. "You seem to like me and we get along and always have a good time together. Doesn't that mean something?"

"I don't know."

I suddenly got self-conscious. "Well could you think about it? I feel like this is something you should just feel. It's not a hard question."

"I don't know. Do we have to talk about this? We were doing just fine before."

Tears sprung to my eyes but I didn't know if it was from being rejected, being embarrassed, or a mixture of the two. I didn't respond and it was quiet for what seemed like a very long time. I felt him lay back down and sigh. There wasn't anything to say to him. He made it clear that he wasn't interested. I curled up and faced the wall and tried to fall asleep. I wasn't tired at all anymore.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading and following! This is my first story and in my head I have a sequel I want to do so this story is sort of us set up of other things to come. But I would absolutely love comments and any ideas anyone has. Hope you like it****J**

I didn't sleep. After I heard Peter's breathing slow, I slipped out of bed and out of the hideout. I couldn't be there I had to get away. I thought of going to the Indians tribe, but I didn't want to bother Tiger Lily. The mermaids would drown me if I even walked close to the shore. I had nowhere to go once again.

You would think I would be used to being alone, but the last few months have made me feel like I had friends and almost a family. For once I had been comfortable. It was typical of me to ruin that. I couldn't just let myself be happy.

I started to jog through the trees. Then I picked up my pace. Soon I was in a full sprint. I weaved in and out of trees and leaped over logs and roots that covered the island. I had no destination I just ran. It helped me focus on anything other than Peter. I had to concentrate to not trip or smack into a tree. I had to focus on my breathing so I wouldn't pass out. It was wonderful.

My bear feet crashed onto the cool sand and I felt like I was going to fall down. I leaned over and rested my hands on my knees. They were skinned and dirty. I desperately wished I had taken a bath before this. I wondered if my cuts, that were starting to cover my body, would scar up or get infected. In Neverland I rarely thought of such realities. The real world was only real when I was alone.

I heard a faint groan in the distance. My heart stopped. I reached for my sword, but I hadn't grabbed it. Clenching my fists, I spun around prepared for a fight.

There was only darkness. I squinted to focus my eyes, but still saw nothing. The salt in the air burned your eyes if you didn't blink enough. It was so black that you could barely tell where the beach ended and where the ocean began. My mind had tricked me. I relaxed and decided to wait in the water for a while.

As I took a step my foot came into contact with something. The something groaned louder than before. I may have screamed and kicked it a few more times before I backed away. After I got my bearings I was braced for a fight once more.

"Who are you" I demanded to know as I stepped back a few feet with my balled fists ready to swing.

The something coughed and groaned again. "Help" he whispered in a hoarse voice.

The something was a man. "Who are you" I pressed ignoring his plea for help.

"My name is Kenner" he cleared his throat with a cough. "Help, I was marooned here by the Jolly Roger."

"Whatever why should I believe you" I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see it. I could only see his outline. I wished I had brought a candle so I could read his face. Maybe I could read his face.

"Because" he panted out of breathe. "I'm just like you."

"You don't even know me. And besides you're a pirate. We have nothing in common."

"We are both the children of pirates." He claimed. "I'm not a pirate. I tried to be, but Hook said I was weak. He kicked me off the ship." Hook really had a thing for kicking children off the ship if they were "weak."

"Whose son are you?" I asked.

"Smee's."

"Someone reproduced with Smee?!" I laughed at the thought.

"Hey! My mother was a wonderful lady. Watch your mouth," he scolded and propped himself up on his elbows like he could do something to me.

"You watch yourself, boy, you don't know who you're talking to," I warned lightly. This guy wasn't so bad. We both were in the same boat. No pun intended. We were both kicked off the Jolly Roger and were the unwanted children of pirates. I could relate with this boy. That first night I had been so lonely and hurt. Kenner had it worse because he had been beaten before being sent away.

I thought back to my first night alone. I had grown into such a different person since then. I was no longer the orphaned girl that needed a father to make all her dreams come true. I had made my own dreams come true. When I needed friends I made friends. When I needed to fit in I fit in. When I felt down about myself I found self- confidence. Why shouldn't I be able to have the guy I want? I didn't care what Peter said- I wasn't going to settle for "I don't know."

"I know who you are you're hooks daughter," he interrupted my thoughts. "Everyone on this island knows you. You ran away from a pretty sweet set up if you ask me."

I plopped down in the sand still keeping some distance between us but also not cowering away. "Well I didn't ask you" I said sassily. "Besides I'd hardly call it running away. He basically called me a traitor and that I wasn't wanted if I disagree with his majesty. So I left." I explained to the shadow whose figures were becoming clearer as my eyes adjusted to the darkness.

"Sounds like you ran away" he teased. His hair was dark, but I couldn't see the color. He was laying on his side with his long legs pointed towards the ocean. He had to be taller that six foot, but he was around my age.

"Well if you had been there you would know it wasn't like that."

"I was." Kenner answered in his smug British accent.

"Actually you weren't. I knew all the Pirates aboard and you weren't one of them. Let's not lie." We were talking playfully. I knew I shouldn't have been, but he was there and I needed someone to talk to. Even if it was just playful banter.

"I wasn't allowed on deck. Smee thought of I went on deck before I was ready Hook would think I was just a liability and kill me," he still breathed heavily, but he only was coughing every now and then. "Instead I was beaten and then marooned here."

"So left for dead? How humane," I said sarcastically. He chuckled softly in the salty night air.

"Speaking of humane, are you going to help a fellow out or leave him for dead as well?" he half joked and half questioned.

He was right. Kenner needed help and I couldn't just leave him simply because he is a pirate and I'm a lost girl. Besides Kenner seemed like a good guy. Just like me, he had been introduced to the wrong side of things first and was told it was right. It's not his fault his father is a pirate. I wish I had gotten to choose who my parents were too, but I didn't. None of us do.

"Yeah I'll help. What should I do?" I asked

"Well I think I have some broken ribs and a busted nose. I'd like that to be cleaned up. Blood is not a pleasant taste."

"Stop being so British. I can't take you seriously," we laughed and I tried pulling him towards the tree line. He was heavy and I couldn't lift him. There was no way I would be able to drag him all the way across the island to the hideout. Oakley would know how to help him, but of course Oakley is as far away as can be. "Look I'm not going to be able to drag you to our hideout. Is it cool if I come back with help?"

"Yes that's fine, but hurry. The sun is rising and I don't want the Pirates to come back." He panted and I could tell the pain of being dragged to the trees was intense.

"I'll be back," I promised as I disappeared through the forest. I jogged most of the way to keep a good pace. The sun was rising and through the trees you could see all the ranges of colors. I had never seen the sun rise in Neverland. Suddenly I wished I had been watching them all along.

Once I reached the hideout I glanced around to make sure no one was following or watching. I entered and flew down the stairs ready to head straight to the boys room to get Oakley, but Peter was there.

He sat on the couch at first, but stood when he saw me. "Where have you been? I was worried," he told me coming towards me and pulling me into a huge bear hug.

I giggled, happy he had missed me. "I needed some space so I went for a run" I paused and we parted. "While I was out I found-"

"Riley I'm sorry." He interrupted. "Riley, I'm sorry. I know I said I don't know how I feel about you, but that's not true. I just freaked out and was worried things would change." he blurted out not seeming to stop to take a breath.

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying I like you. I want to be so much more than friends with you. I had all last night while you were gone to think. You know, on this island we never know how much time we have left. I've seen kids die before they were ready. I don't want to die without having been with you. Even if it's a mistake. I know how I feel about you. I need to be with you," Peter stepped forward and grabbed my hands into his and looked me in the eyes. The green entranced me. I hardly noticed when they began to close and his lips moved to meet mine. And there it was. A perfect kiss that fluttered my heart like a butterfly's wings.

We parted and I smiled and my eyes threatened to water, but I stopped them. "Then let's be together," I exclaimed and enveloped him in a hug again. I had gotten everything I wanted. Peter and I were together and I had this feeling that I can't explain. It was like I knew he was _the one_ for me. I had this gut instinct that he was it and that he was all I needed from then on out. After that kiss I could never go back to just friends. I could never go back to an okay existence. My life with Peter would be extraordinary.

"Oh" I remembered out of the blue. "I need Oakley."


	10. Chapter 10

I walked with a purpose over to the boy's door and knocked, before barging right in. I went straight to Oakley's bunk. He was snoring on the bottom bed; not at all disturbed by me coming in or by all the protest form the other boys.

"Oakley wake up," I shook his arm gently then harder when he ignored my attempt to wake him.

"Huh? What-" he looked around and noticed me and Peter staring at him. "Why are you-"

"Get up," I told him pulling the blankets off him.

"Hey! Watch it," he argued as he covered his underwear. His face turned red as he covered back up under the blanket.

"Come on Oakley I need your medical expertise," I pleaded as I handed him his glasses.

"Why?" He asked.

"Yeah, why?" Peter echoed touching my arm looking concerned.

"Not for me. I found someone who was marooned here. He has been beaten and can't move from the beach," I explained to all the listening faces form their beds. "He claims to be Smee's son."

They all irrupted in detest.

"A dirty pirate!"

"Just another trap!"

"Let him rot!"

"Not worth the chance!"

"Let's kill him!"

They all spoke at once and all had only negative things to say. They all yelled their opinions to me and to each other. Most of all they told it to Peter. They wanted him on their side right away. It had spiraled out of control so quickly. I needed to regain order if I wanted to keep my promise to the boy.

"Listen up!" I screamed. My voice stuck out amongst all the boys yelling. "Is he not a person? He is a human being that was beat half to death and then left to die on a beach. How is that okay with you? Have some compassion," I persuaded trying not to sound so angry. Of course I was, but how could I not be. I was supposed to bring help and now all of my friends picked that day to lose all sympathy.

"Riley," Peter's voice from behind me broke the silence. I faced him. "It's a trap."

"You don't know that."

"I do." he said with sympathy for me but not the boy waiting on the beach. "I'm sorry, but this has your father written all over it."

"Don't you talk about my father!" I screamed. "You're no better. You won't go help someone who is out there dying right now."

"I'm sorry, sweetie," he tried to pull me into another hug, but I blocked it. I felt tears come to my eyes, but this time I let them fall. In front of everyone I stood there crying like nothing but a sad little girl.

"He is just like me, but you won't help him," I told Peter angrily.

"No, I'm sorry, I can't take that chance. It's a trap Riley. I don't know how else to convince you." The others remained silent. This private argument had become public and all I could do was try and stand my ground.

"He is dying!" I screamed.

"He is deceiving." Peter responded calmly.

I stormed out of the room and into the living room, ignoring Peter's calls for me to come back. They all followed me still trying to convince me. "Fine," I spun to face their waiting eyes. "I'll go help him myself."

"No I can't let you go back and be in danger." He seemed angry, but was trying not to be.

"Well someone has to help him and since you won't I will do it alone," I spat not caring how mad he was. I was focused on helping my new friend and I didn't care what anyone else thought or did about it. "So I'm going."

I reached for the door to leave the hideout, but Peter pushed my hand back. He stood between me and saving Kenner. "No!" He yelled into my face. I shoved him and he hit the door, but wasn't fazed. "You're not going Riley! It's a trap. Why can't you just believe me?! Is this the type of relationship we are going to have? It's only been half an hour and we already fighting!"

"We would be fighting anyways!" I screamed back now even angrier because he was questioning our relationship so early. "If you try and keep me from doing what I think is right we are going to fight regardless of if we are dating," I informed him as he continued to block the door. "Now get out of the way!" I shoved him into the door another time.

"Shove me one more time and I swear to God-" he started to threaten through clenched teeth, but then stopped himself.

"You'll what?" I pressed him. "You hit me? Try I dare you! I'm not afraid of you!" I screamed.

Peter clenched his fists and raised one ready to follow through. I didn't bat an eye. He held his fist like that for a long minute. I could hear him breathe and see me fuming. Neither of us moved.

Finally he sighed. The sigh lowered his fist and brought his relaxed hand to the back of my head. I was pulled into his face and our lips met. At first I didn't know if I should kiss back. I was so mad at him, but yet when he kissed me things changed. It's like we were back in our room sharing stories and jokes. The connection what sparked again. I knew right then that I was in love with Peter Pan.

We parted after a few seconds. And met eyes for a moment. Smiles were exchanged and words through the mind.

"I'll go and check on the boy," Peter promised and kissed me on the forehead.

Suddenly a loud roar of disapproval from the boys came like a title wave crushing our perfect moment. They had been watching this whole time.

Peter pushed passed all the boys glaring at him to grab his sword and dagger. Their eyes followed him as he was leaving. "I'll be fine guys it's just Smee's kid. I'll be back in an hour tops." He told the boys who stood with their arms crossed over their chest. Peter turned back to me. "I'll see you when I get back," he winked and gave me a quick peck,before disappearing behind the door.


	11. Chapter 11

"It's been an hour and a half Riley. How do you explain that?" Curley asked accusingly.

"I don't know. I'm just as confused as you," I told them all.

Nibs paced the room. He had become my best friend of the boys and normally he was the easiest going. He always had a joke, but not now. He had a look on his face I had never seen before.

"We should go and check to see of everything is okay," Axle spoke up. "If it's nothing then that's fine, but if he is captured then we need to move quickly"

"Axle's right," I agreed.

"You're not going anywhere, princess," Axle scoffed. "You're the reason he could be dead right now."

My heart sank. I knew he was right, but it hurt to hear it out loud. Peter could be dead and it would be all my fault. I looked down at my lap and tried not to let myself feel anything. If I could focus on the positive or just not think much at all I knew I could keep it together.

"Actually the island and Peter share power so we would know if he was dead," Oakley chimed in.

"Either way we don't need to blame Riley," Nibs defended solemnly.

"Who else wanted to go save the pirate?" One of the twins pointed out.

"She couldn't have known," Valley countered.

"She didn't care to know," Axle accused.

It's like I wasn't even there. They all argued about me like I didn't exist in the room. I was invisible. It was wrong that I was the topic at hand when Peter is missing. But For the first time I questioned whether or not to speak up. They already hated me for it.

For that exact reason I knew I had to say something. "This isn't the issue. We need to find Peter." None of them answered and I started to get a little self-conscious, so I stood up and got my sword. "I'm going. Who's with me?"

The boys cheered and for a moment I wasn't worried anymore. How could I be? I had the support of the lost boys. They didn't look like much, but I knew they could be very dangerous. I wasn't going to be doing this alone like I seem to always have to. Nibs rallied the boys in order, once they gathered their weapons, and we filed out.

We marched to the place where I had found Kenner the night before. No one spoke; we were on a mission. I still had hope that Kenner was where I left him and that Peter was just giving him aid. Part of my brain wouldn't let me think there was any other possibilities. I think the mind does that sometimes. It wants to protect itself from the reality of a situation. But this makes learning the truth much harder.

We reached the beach with no sign of Kenner. I knew right then that I had been tricked.

"There's the Jolly Roger," Oakley pointed off shore.

"How do we know if Peter is on board?" I asked as I squinted against the sun to see if I could spot Peter.

Nibs whistled with his fingers so that the sound echoes all throughout the island. I stood there confused, but all the other boys seemed to know what he was doing so I said nothing. I had looked stupid enough for one day.

Moments later the glowing orb from before was back. I hadn't seen Tinker Bell in a long time. She had a family and a new daughter back in her hut, so we all understood, but she was always never far away.

"Tink is Peter on the Jolly Roger?" Nibs asked her as soon as she appeared.

The collection of sparkles wasted no time to fly over to the ship to get a better look. She fluttered gracefully above the ship and then floated back to shore. She stood on Curly's shoulder and nodded to nibs.

"Is he safe?" I asked urgently.

None of us spoke fairy, so she gave me the hand gesture for "so-so" then put her hands up to ask, "What's going on?"

"He was captured," Tootles announced, pushing between the twins to be heard.

The sarcastic look on Tinker Bell's face was not amused with such an obvious answer. She looked to the others to clarify how he had been captured.

"Riley fell right into Hook's trap and got him taken. She wasn't smart enough to know a pirate when she saw one." Axle spat at me instead of Tink. It was becoming more and more clear that axle didn't like me. I couldn't understand why, but I didn't think it mattered if he had a reason or not. He didn't need a reason.

Tinker Bell shook her head in disproval.

"It was an accident. Don't you think I feel bad enough?" I glared at him trying to defend myself. "I was trying to help someone in need and show some mercy. If that's so awful then maybe I shouldn't be in this group," I told him crossing my arms.

"Maybe you shouldn't," he threatened as he stepped up to me so that we were face to face.

He wanted me to back down. I could feel it. I held my stare and refused to back away. I wasn't scared of him or anyone else. I have been through hell. There wasn't a time in my life that hasn't been hard. It has been one struggle after another ever since I was born. From being kidnapped and dropped at a church to foster care to never feeling loved to being kidnapped once more to being a pirate to running away to being a lost boy. Life has never been a walk through the park. If Axle thought I would be afraid of him because I was new here then he had another thing coming.

Tinkerbell flew between our faces and we were blinded by her light. We both backed off. She jingled loudly, but none of us could understand her language. That was probably a good thing because I'm pretty sure she was insulting us.

"Let's focus, guys, we need a plan," Valley reminded us. "Peter isn't doing so well over there."

"Valley's right. Let's brainstorm," Tootles suggested squatting in the sand sketching a ship in the sand with his finger.


	12. Chapter 12

We decided that the only way to rescue Peter was an all-out raid. They had the advantage of being out at sea with a hostage and none of us could fly very well. Unlike Peter, we needed fairy dust close by and our happy thoughts could be very hard to keep. We would have to just go for the element of surprise and then fight to free Peter as fast as we could.

Hook didn't want to just kill Peter. He wanted to torture him until he stopped breathing. It was sadistic and sick, but that was my father's way. That's why we needed to act quickly. We would've waited until night fall, but that was more time for Peter to be tortured. Once the plan was made we acted on it.

Tink doused us all on her pixie dust and we all thought hard on our happy thoughts. I blushed when my first thought that made my feet leave the sand was Peter. Although I couldn't day dream forever, I had a mission. The boys and I flew just above the waves so we wouldn't be detected at eye level. Once we reached the bottom of the ship we all paused and listened for Nibs' count down.

Nibs listened and didn't immediately start the count. We could hear Hook's eerie voice on deck.

"Pan you think you're so clever, don't you?" Hook spoke rhetorically and his books stomped about the deck.

I needed a closer look so I rose up to a hole along the railing of the ship's deck and peaked through. Some of the other boys did the same.

My eyes met a bloody and bruised Peter who had been tied to the mast. His head hung and drops of blood dripped from his face and hair. His shirt had been torn off and laid at his feet covered in a bright red puddle. His weakness was obvious and his exhaustion was apparent. He wouldn't answer Hook or even look at him. All he would do was cough and spit blood onto the floor boards.

"You think you can just do whatever you want and get away with it. You're no king, Pan, you're a retched little boy," he hissed at Peter. Peter didn't move. "Well come on answer me, Pan. Don't be coy now." His Hook went to Peter's throat and for the first time his head was lifted exposing his beaten face.

He cleared his throat and flipped his bloody hair away from his black eyes. "What do you want me to say Hook?" He spoke with dignity, but yet I could hear his voice shake with pain.

"Say that you're nothing but a spineless child," he laughed and the crew joined in.

"No."

"Then let's find out what the inside of a wrist looks like!" He shouted to his crowd of fans as they raised their swords in victory.

"One!" Yelled Nibs as he flew out from his hiding spot. We all followed suit, immediately picking a pirate to fight. Some of us fought off two at a time. Some of us knocking them overboard. They were grown men, but we were evenly matched.

I was fighting a pirate who goes by the name of Noodler. He had an unfortunate face tattoo and the look of someone who didn't value personal hygiene. It want long before I bested him and he went overboard.

I turned to free Peter, who no one was guarding. I ran to him holding his cut up face in my hands. His green eyes were blood shot and bruises covered his eyes. Gashes on his forehead and checks bled in trickle, but the blood from his nose had dried. He wasn't fully conscious, but he knew I was there to save him.

"Don't worry, baby, I'll get you out of here," I promised as I raised my sword and sliced the ropes that held him to the mast. He collapsed forward and I had a limp teenager's dead weight keeping me from moving. "Peter you got to get up," I begged trying to move him off. He didn't budge he was passed out.

Hands gripped his arms and pulled him up off me. I jumped to my feet prepared to thank Nibs or Axle or Tootles for helping me, but I was faced with a pirate.

Kenner stood with a sword raised to fight. I glanced to see an unconscious Peter leaned against the mast of the ship. I raised my sword. They clashed. He swung and I ducked. I stabbed and he weaved.

"Don't you know it's improper for you to be laying underneath a man in front of company?" he mocked as we fought intensely.

"Don't you know it's improper to lie? Or was that too hard of a concept for you to grasp as a child?" He swung harder clearly angered by my response. "Is it because your mom didn't love the product of her slutty encounter with a pirate?" I pressed of with an evil grin.

My sword was thrown from my hand and a blade rushed to my throat. "What did I say about talking about my mother?!" Kenner screamed. Little spit droplets landed on my face, but I resisted the urge to wipe them.

"Touchy subject?" I asked sarcastically. He pressed the blade to my neck harder and I felt the skin break. There was a stinging feeling then I felt blood trickling down onto my shirt.

"Back off," a voice demanded to Kenner. I followed to end of a sword that was to Kenner's neck to see an awake Peter. He winked at me and I smiled back. His attention went back to Kenner. "Drop your sword," Kenner obeyed. "Now leave before I slit your lying throat," Peter threatened.

"Don't move Kenner," Hook's voice chimed in. He was emerging from his cabin where he had gone to hide. The boys and pirates all stopped to watch what would happen next. That's the thing about Hook. When he walked into a room people took notice. There's a shift in the air that sends a chill up and down your spine. You know something evil is going to happen and it's like a car accident- you can't help but watch.

Kenner grabbed his sword from the ground and pointed it at Peter. Hook slowly wondered to face Peter who was still bloody, but it was dried fully now and was beginning to chip. Peter aimed his sword at my father now forgetting that Kenner existed, let alone was pointing a sword at him. I didn't move. This was the first time I had seen Hook in months and I didn't know how to feel.

"You would think that you would like me protecting your daughter," Peter told hook.

Hook scoffed and kept pacing about the open space that was cleared. "Yes I'm thrilled you're sleeping with my daughter," he spat sarcastically as he turned his back to Peter showing him how aloof he was to be fighting with us. "I am just thrilled that you are banging my little girl."

"Oh shut up!" I yelled to my so called father. I was reminded how to feel about. "I'm not you're little girl. You're full of shit. I'm nothing to you. So cut the crap and stop pretending to be anything other than a lonely old man." I paused then went on. I knew the next thing I said would forever ruin any relationship I might have with my father. "No one will ever love you. Rose didn't, she just loved the power. Your crew doesn't love you, they're just afraid of you. I sure as hell don't love you and we share blood."

"You've been hanging around Pan for too long," he stated blankly. "Do you really think he could ever love you? He loves being a child far too much to ever grow up. Even for you," he taunted circling me with his doubts.

I looked at Peter who said nothing and wouldn't return my glance. He focused on Hook who traveled around with ease. I wanted desperately to talk to Peter alone. I needed to tell him that over the last few months I fell in love with him. I only realized it the night before, but it had been there the whole time. I had always felt safe with him and I could tell him things I never thought I could tell anyone. I needed to tell him that it didn't matter what Hook said or what anyone did because we were meant to be together. Whether he could say it or not I wanted him to know I loved him.

Distracted, Kenner ambushed Peter from behind by hitting him over the head with the butt of his sword. Peter crushed to the floor boards. I was grabbed by a nearby pirate and held back. All the other boys were held the same as I was. Kenner stepped back into the sea of pirates to watch what happened next.


	13. Chapter 13

Peter wasn't out cold he was only dazed. I thought he had a concussion, but I'm no doctor. He stumbled to his feet and swayed a little to get his balance. Hook watched with a grin that could make a dentist cringe. This was all very amusing to him.

"So, Pan," he began. "This is how it ends for you?"

"No, this is where it gets interesting," he smirked mischievously and raised his sword in a half-hearted attempt to fight back.

Hook wasted no time. The back of his hook met Peter's temple in one swift movement that drew Peter back to the floor boards. I swallowed my screams and held in the tears; I needed to be brave. Was I telling myself to be brave so Peter wouldn't see me upset before he dies or was I telling myself to be brave to work out a plan? I wasn't sure, but I knew I had to.

"Any last word?" Hook asked raising his hook ready to bury it in Peter's exposed chest.

His eyes met mine. They were still blood shot and now they were swelling, but they were still the deepest and greenest eyes I had ever seen. He opened his mouth to begin to tell me something so I pushed the pirate holding me off me and he didn't fight it. I got closer and kneeled so I could hear him.

"I love you, Riley," he half whispered. I was going to say it back but he had more to say. "Will you marry me?"

Tears fell like a faucet. "Yes," I whispered back through my heavy breathing from crying. "I've always loved you," I told him. I didn't even care that we may not make it off the ship alive. We were meant to be together and if that meant in the afterlife then okay. I would be with him where ever he went. Our love couldn't be stopped by something as insignificant as death.

Hook was caught off guard by this and began to lower his hook in amazement. He couldn't fathom the idea that Peter Pan was accepting his feelings. He had embraced love. Had he grown up?

The truth was Peter had grown to know it takes to survive in Neverland. He had already learned that violence ruled the island. Even when I first met him he admitted that he couldn't be a child anymore. He had seen too much. The innocence was gone. Once a child is no longer innocent they are no longer a child at all. From the morning before Peter learned how precious happiness is. You have to jump at any chance of love or happiness because it is what gets us through life. If we aren't living for that then what's the point. We die sad and lonely just like Hook. Sometimes you just have to hold your nose and cannon ball in because sitting on the side is no fun at all.

"No!" Hook screamed as his hook was brought high above his head and ready to strike. He let to fall with no hesitation this time.

I dove on top of Peter causing Hook to stop just before slicing my chest open the way he had planned to on Peter. "Stop!" I begged. "Hook, I swear if you spare him," I paused kissing my happiness goodbye. "I'll come back."

Hook cackled and the other pirates joined in. "Why would I want that?"

"I'm your daughter," I reminded him. "Rose died for me."

"That's right," he agreed. "And now it was in vain!" He yelled dropping his heavy hook towards my neck.

At the last possible second Peter rolled us both out of the way. He didn't have much strength left, but he had enough to get us out of the way. Hook's hook was wedged in between the floor board. He cursed and struggled, but couldn't get free. This was our chance. I helped Peter to his wobbly feet and handed him his sword. Together, we raised our blades to meet the neck of my father.

His chin raised in his awkward bent over position. He was still frantically trying to free himself, but his face was getting redder by the second. He was boiling. I glanced at Peter who had found his balance. He gazed back and gave me the most beautiful smile. It didn't matter that it was bloody and beaten. That was my soon-to-be husband's smile and I would be seeing it for the rest of my life.

"What are you idiots waiting for?!" Hook screamed to his crew who had done nothing but watch through the whole altercation. "Get them!"

Swords surrounded us and it was is whose chins began to raise until the lost boys all joined the standoff. The boys held their blades on the pirates who were holding them on us who were hold them on Hook. Some of the pirates switched their attention to the boys, but nothing else changed. This didn't last long; Hook got Smee to help free him. Soon he was back to his feet, but not for long.

The dusk sky lit up with orbs of lights. From the place on deck where me and Peter stood. All you could see was the clouds be taken over my glitter and pixie dust raining down on all of us. I didn't even half to try and fly; my body was lifted into the air. Peter floated next to me and took my hand. I looked at my new fiancé as we glided above all our problems.

"So are you gona have babies or what?" A floating Nibs interrupted jokingly.


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you for the reviews and follows. I love that there are actual people reading my imagination! It's crazy. This is the last official chapter of this story. Chapter 15 is actually a sneak peek of the sequel I want to do and have already started on. I'm hoping that one will be better because I will have personalities and histories already established and don't have to spend time on backstory. Anyways thank you to all the people who even skimmed this story. Hopefully you were entertained.**

**I wish I owned the story of Peter Pan but of course I'm not that lucky.**

Peter was still badly hurt even after we flew home. Home. Neverland was my home for good now. There had been a part of me that always thought I could go back to the other world and live there, but now I knew I couldn't. I could never be happy there after living in Neverland with my family.

They were my family. The lost boys were my dysfunctional brothers. Nibs was the brother that could always put a smile on your face. Slightly was the brother that was always up for anything. Axle was the brother who drove you crazy and didn't always get along with. Tootles was the brother that you could always talk to about anything. The twins were the twins and were always goofing around. Oakley was the brother that would talk your ear off about science or something like that and you just nod. Valley was the brother that had a heart of gold.

Peter was soon going to be my husband. We would be our own little family. The two of us would be home. I had everything I ever wanted.

As I nursed Peter back to health I knew that our fight was far from over. Hook was more furious than ever. We had a war to fight and it had only just begun. I knew that I would be starting off my life here in chaos, but it was adventure. Neverland was all about adventure. No matter how bloody and horrific times could be, you knew it was what you signed up for. Neverland could make any one of us face our own mortality in the cold dark eyes, and yet when you look at the lost boys, or Peter, or even me for that matter, you saw a lightness about us. Not because a brutal death made us happy, but because we knew that this was adventure.

To die would be an awfully big adventure, but for now, to live would be the grandest adventure of them all.


	15. Chapter 15

**Sneak peek at sequel! This takes place a year after the other story leaves off. Peter and Riley have been married for ten months and couldn't be happier. They are in a vicious war with the Pirates that is taking over the whole island. The conflict has never been this bad. It seems that its either Peter or Hook this time. **

The boys all gathered around the table in the hideout ready for dinner. Curly had prepared some sort of fish with berries on the side. As much as I hated fish, I knew it would be my only food for the rest of the night so I piled it on my plate.

The boys were messy from earlier that morning when they got into another fight with the Pirates. This was an unofficial battle so not all of us were there, but who ever happened upon one another, by coincidence or not, would attack each other until both sides gave up. Today it was Nibs, Tootles, Valley, and Slightly. Slightly had a black eye by dinner time and Tootles looked like his face had been rubbed in the dirt. Nibs and Tootles were roughed up but Nibs protected Valley so they walked away better than the others.

Because of this run-in Nibs sat next to me and gushed the whole story all throughout dinner. He was pretty proud about how he and Valley did. I just listened and picked at my fish. Nibs was my best friend in the house, but man that boy could talk your ear off if you let him.

Peter wasn't home yet because he had to go talk to the mermaids again. We had a long talk about his flirting problem, but I had a feeling I still didn't need to go and watch the fish people fawn all over my husband. I sent Tinker Bell to keep an eye on the mermaids just in case they couldn't keep their hands to themselves. She and her family had been staying with us ever since the fighting got bad, so she was happy to get out of the hideout.

The door swung open and Peter came trotting down the steps with Tink by his side. All the boys cheered as if him entering the room was miraculous. It's no wonder his ego is so big, I giggled go myself as he came to kiss me hello and take his seat next to me.

Although, there was something off about him. I could tell by the way he avoided eye contact with me. Normally he came in and sat down and told me all about how things went, but that night he slid into the chair, gave a half-hearted gin to the boys, then piled food into his plate. Even Tinker Bell didn't stick around. She would normally stay out and listen to the conversation and then sign a report on the fish people to me and we would laugh about it. That night she went straight to her hut that Peter built for her family.

The boys all jumped at Peter with questions.

"Did they say if the Pirates are going to attack?"

"Do they know where this hideout is?"

"How did they know that we were going to be at the waterfall today?"

Peter barely looked up from his plate. "They didn't know any of that stuff," he told them as he reached for my hand under the table. All the boys went silent; they realized something wasn't right. "I have news from the other world," he said as he turned to me.

I knew something was wrong. Something awful had happened back in Dallas. I didn't even want to hear it. A lump formed in my throat. I felt like I was a family member in a hospital waiting room. The doctor would soon come tell me how the surgery went. I held my breath.

"It's your dad," Peter squeezed my hand as my other raised to cover my mouth. "He had a heart attack. I'm sorry, Rye, he didn't make it."

My crying was silent and so was everyone else in the room. They all watched me lose my mind at the table over my cold smelly fish. Nibs took my other hand in his and held it tightly. I felt my wedding ring press against my other fingers and I was overwhelmed with the thought that I could've saved him if I had been there, even though I didn't believe it.

"The funeral is in two days," Peter informed me as I released their hands go get something to blow my nose in. "I think you should go."

"Will you go with me?" I asked feeling as if I couldn't do it alone. I was pretty independent, but when it came down to facing my dead foster father's funeral I didn't think I could do it. This man raised me. Despite how I felt over a year ago, when I left home, I now knew how special my foster parents were. Now that I knew about where I came from, it didn't matter who my blood was. My biological parents were evil and I left my perfect foster parents for them.

Peter hesitated for a moment reading my expression. "Well you know things are bad here right now and-" I frowned disappointed and hurt. "Of course I'll go," he changed his mind.

We would leave after dinner.


End file.
